Four Hopes
by Dream Rider
Summary: 100 years after the Kingdom Hearts incident, the Heartless have come back, stronger than ever. Two Voices have chosen a select four to wield Keyblades. Can they rid the universe of the dark foes?


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Four Hopes

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By: Dream Rider 

Disclaimer: I'm only saying this once. I don't own Kingdom Hearts. 

Chapter I

_. . . It is time._

_How can you tell?_

_Can't you see the door?_

_Oh, I see now. They look much stronger now._

_Yes._

_How will they be defeated this time? More than one master will be needed for this mission._

_Then we will create a team of masters._

Dark gray clouds thundered above the city, demanding attention. Frightened citizens looked up, hushed whispers rippling through the crowd. A drop landed on the ground, turning the pavement a dark color, then a few more dropped. The city buzzed with anxiety and panic as residents plowed through the crowds, searching blindly for shelter. The Storms had been appearing all over their world of Mythril, and whenever they appeared, black creatures with illuminated topaz eyes melted from the shadows and attacked. 

A nine year old boy sat huddled up against a building, trembling with fright, long after the crowd had dissapated. He was quite small for his age and was always pushed around. The boy never made it to the shelters before they were locked tight, but his mother always had pulled him somewhere safe. But during the last Storm she had been taken by the creatures, and so the boy could not find anywhere to hide. 

Cold rain pelted to the earth and the wind howled through the deserted streets. Dusty whimpered softly as he ducked back into an alley. His usually fluffy brown hair was slicked to his head and the Storm had turned his blue eyes into pools of gray. Dusty's pale, freckled skin was covered in goosebumps. The boy's white T-shirt and blue denim shorts clung to his body. 

Dusty rendered himself immobile at the sight of an insectoid creature. Its scrawny body was completely black, but its orbs glowed neon yellow. The creature wandered aimlessly through the street, oblivious to the tense nine year old that sat a foot away from it, veiled in the shadows of the alley. Dusty slowly and cautiously reached for a nearby stick, but the insectoid thing saw his movement and leapt at him. 

Blinded with terror, the boy swung the stick at the creature. The twig pierced its skin and sank into its chest as the monster dropped to the ground, eyes flickering yellow, then brown, with sickly colors in between. Dusty's chest roise and fell with heavy sobs as he inched away from the fading life form. The boy's face was scrunched in horror as he whimpered quietly and hugged his knees, praying that none of the other wandering creatures found him. 

A black cat hopped off the roof. Dusty jumped, mistaking the feline for one of the creatures. He bumped into a trash can, which fell over and clattered all through the alley. The boy's shoulders sagged and his heart sank. The shadows took form and molded into the black monsters, antennas twitching as they inspected the fallen can. They cringed from the putrid smell, then pittered around the area, listening for any noise. 

One of them brushed Dusty's leg and, unfortunately, the boy pulled his limb away. The shadow insect stood up on its hind legs and stared at him for a few moments, head tilted in a curious way. A few barely audible squeaks came from its invisible mouth, and the other creatures wandered over. They were hardly two feet away. Dusty shivered and hid his face, hoping it was merely a dream. He braced himself for the attack, but it never came. 

The boy opened his eyes to see that the insectoid beings were gaping at him in fear, backing away slowly. Finally, they turned tail and disappeared right into the ground like shadows. The Storm began to subside. Wondering what that was all about, Dusty stood up and went to brush himself off. His eyes immediately locked onto something that had slipped itself into his palm. 

It looked like a giant key, but it was carved from emerald, and the handle was clear crystal. A chain dangled from the end, with a charm in the shape of a sunflower at the end. The key appeared to radiate an aura of confidence and optimism, and it glowed with a faint white light. intrigued, Dusty held the thing with both hands, holding it up to the newly exposed sun to examine it. The glow faltered, as did the aura, but the key was as beautiful as ever. 

_Be careful,_ A layered voice whispered to him,_ You hold the Nature Keyblade. It is needed to restore peace to your Heartless-infested universe. Be careful . . ._

Although the dark side to Kingdom Hearts was engulfed in, of course, darkness, there was a bright side to it as well. A city of daytime, where one never felt sleepy and the sun was always shining. No Heartless had ever set foot on the lush fields. The trees seemed to burn green, flowers glowing in the rays. The sky was an eternal blue, and not a cloud was seen in the ever-summer world. 

Gwen had never known anything but paradise. Her waist-length blonde hair, nearly white thanks to the sun's constant light, was always put up in a ponytail. The thirteen year old's dark green eyes sparkled with satisfaction. She always wore a yellow tanktop and khaki capris, complete with oversized white tennis shoes. Despite the fact that her parents loved her with every ounce of their life, she didn't have any friends. Gwen preferred being alone to socializing, and she was often labelled an outcast. 

Gwen didn't mind. 

One day, Gwen was strolling through the meadow, a little bit more jittery than usual. The Heartless had been prowling outside the door to the dark side of Kingdom Hearts. She had seen them. Even though they had never entered Light Kingdom Hearts, the mere sight of the shadow creatures frightened the blonde. Also, there were rumors going around that the Heartless had escaped from their prison and were invading the universe. 

The kind-hearted citizens of the bright side worried for the universe's safety, even though they wouldn't be affected themselves. Gwen was one of them. That same day she dashed home, snatched a sword (for decoration) from her parents' bedroom and trekked straight to the door. It was jarred open slightly, and Gwen could see the neon lights, as well as the glowing eyes of the dreaded adversaries. 

And for the first time, the sound of the door slamming shut echoed through the hills. Gwen was gone. 

Now in Dark Kingdom Hearts, Gwen slashed the sword wildly, being without practice. She managed to destroy the Heartless, but with a few cuts and bites on her body. She walked through the deserted streets. Sensing a presence behind her, the girl pivoted on her heel and slashed at the creature, only to find that it was a cloaked boy. 

After apologizing, Gwen went to sheathe her sword. The blonde's eyes went wide. The sword had changed into a giant key. It was made out of pearls, with a pair of wings on the end of the chain that hung from the back end of the key. 

_You, Gwen, have been chosen to be the Breeze Keyblade mistress . . ._

"A real Keyblade," Ignatius mused, eyeing the mythical weapon in the blonde girl's hand. Gwen held it carefully, as if it was made out of glass, her eyes taking in every shining detail. The hooded boy went to walk away, but Gwen's childish voice rang out, stopping him. 

"My name is Gwendolyn Fisher," she introduced, catching up to him. "But everyone calls me Gwen. I came from the other side. What's your name?" 

Ignatius snickered coldly, making the blonde shrink away from him. He twirled around, towering a full head above Gwen. "My name? You want to know my name? . . . No one ever wants to know my name. And you really shouldn't give your name to strangers. If you absolutely _must_ know, then my name is Ignatius Chater. Now, Dark Kingdom Hearts is no place for a Lighter like yourself. I'd advise you to get back home." 

"No!" Gwen declared stubbornly. "I've been raised to take care of others. And I want to help defeat the Heartless!" 

At that, Ignatius started laughing. A bit taken aback, Gwen stared at him with an open mouth, then crossed her arms and scowled. "I can see you're not taking me serious. Fine. I can't wait to see the look on your face when I'm awarded for my efforts." With that, she stalked away. 

Ignatius watched her walk off, then counted down from ten in his mind. Sure enough, at 'one', a high-pitched feminine scream pierced the eternally night sky. He watched, gray eyes twinkling in amusement, as Gwen ran across the open area, followed closely by a group of hungry Heartless. Rolling his eyes skyward, the hooded boy pulled his axe from its hiding place inside his cloak and dashed up, easily slicing through each of Gwen's attackers. 

"W-wow . . ." The blonde girl mumured. She looked up at Ignatius, trembling slightly. Her eyes held a look of admiration in them. But her savior simply brushed past her and walked off into the shadows. Looking around, Gwen suddenly cried, "WAIT UP! I'M COMING WITH YOU!" 

She sprinted after him, only to knock into the cloaked boy. They both toppled over. The blonde sat up and gaped. "You have one too!" 

It was true. Ignatius was shocked as well, but he hid it. His axe had turned into a Keyblade, but this one was carved from ruby and had a charm of a flame connected to the Keychain. The pale glow was quite evident against the dark streets of the city. 

_Ignatius, master of the Flame Keyblade. Wield this gift, and be wary . . ._

As the citizens of Hollow Bastion walked around, their eyes darted nervously about. Heartless sightings had shocked them all. It had been 100 years. What made the blackened creatures decide to come back _now_? Wintersun Elite, a young Epgon girl, watched the people go by. She knew from the gestures and the familiar word "Heartless" that the creatures that returned, but she couldn't speak English. 

"Suppi Wintersun. Dsyg wow aie vomw ieg?" Her mother greeted once she returned home. _Hello Wintersun. What did you find out?_

Wintersun turned to her mother, looking very grim. "Gsu Heartless yju zyxq, Nigsuj." _The Heartless are back, Mother._

"Is na! Syfu gsua yggyxquw aug?" _Oh my! Have they attacked yet?_

"Mi. Gsuju syfu impa zuum hotsgomt." _No. There have only been sightings._

After a long discussion, it was settled. Wintersun was not to go out, just to be safe. However, she was allowed to use her father's gun if any of the Heartless got inside. So every day, when her mother went to the market, Wintersun would stay at home, slipping into peaceful reveries of harmonic times. Why did the Heartless have to invade while she was alive? Wintersun simply couldn't understand it. 

A week had passed. Wintersun sat outside the window, watching for her mother's return. Her dark brown hair hung limply to her shoulders, and her skin was very tan. Ice blue eyes seemed to bore holes into anything they looked at. Wintersun's vibrant attire was reminiscent of that of a gypsy; a pastel orange blouse and a long, iridescent skirt. Golden earrings hung from her ears in large hoops. 

She waited for hours. There was no sign of her mother. Wintersun began to worry. Her eyes darted around - the bastion was completely empty. A sudden coolness filled the air and Wintersun pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders. The Epgon girl wandered away from the window, heart beating a mile a minute. She sat down in a chair, but was immediately out of it a second later, snatching up the rifle. 

Two eyes, like burning yellow coals, peered at her from the shadows. Wintersun was frozen in place. The Heartless and the girl had a staring contest. _Blink._ The Heartless pushed off the ground and flew at her, and the Epgon girl pulled the trigger. She ducked out of the way; the bullet had gone straight through it. Whimpering with fear as more Shadows melted out of the ground around her, Wintersun dropped the gun and made a mad dash for the front door. 

Another Shadow blocked the entranced, twitching its antennas at her. Deciding to risk it, Wintersun hopped over the creature - her foot brushed the freezing cold skin of the blackened insect, making her wince. Bad idea. As soon as she was outside, more Heartless seemed to grow right out of Hollow Bastion's floor. 

"Tjuyg." Wintersun muttered, running in the direction of the market place. _Great._

The market was deserted as well. Grabbing a dagger off of a random stand, Wintersun turned to face the Heartless. They weren't there. The Epgon girl felt a sharp pain in her back as a Heartless attacked her, biting and slashing wildly. She managed to get it off of her and stab it. The creature exploded into a glowing pink heart. More of the insectoid Heartless surrounded her. Taking a deep breath, Wintersun plunged into the ranks of the Heartless, slicing at them with the dagger. 

There were too many of them. The piled onto her, relentlessly going at Wintersun. But they stumbled back at a brillant flash. The Epgon girl, with renewed energy, stood up, brandishing a sapphire Keyblade. Smirking at the creatures, she slashed at them, defeating them after a few strokes. The aura of strength wore off, and Wintersun knew that the next battle would not be as easy. And even though the voice's words were English, she understood them. 

_Mistress of the Aqua Keyblade . . . Take care . . ._

_-`*`-_ 

Suppi ufujaimu! 

I'm Dream Rider. If you can believe it, this is my first fic. Yes, I'm so modest. ~_^ Oh, and about Wintersun. I made up the Epgon language. I'll teach you a l'il bit each chappie. 

Suppi = Hello 

Tiiw-zau = Good-bye 

Ufujaimu = Everyone 

Mi = No 

Auh = Yes 

Milu = A rude form of No - Literally "Nope" 

Pronunciation help: If there are two consenants (sp?) in a row (ex. Tj) only the second consenant is said. The first one is silent. Also, if there is a 'y' like in the word yggyxqum, it has the 'ih' sound. So yggyxqum sounds something like ig-giks-kwum. 

By the way, there's gonna be time travel in this fic, so you're gonna get to see Sora and all those good people. 

Happy trails! 


End file.
